e the building and
kept carefully clear of it the while. It seemed as if the elements
themselves favoured this critical operation, or rather, as though they
stood aghast and breathlessly still, while this, the crowning evidence
of their defeat, was being put on. It was accomplished in less than
half an hour, and, strange to say, no sooner was the tackling loosed and
the screws that held the cupola fixed, than up got wind and sea once
more in an uproarious gale of consternation from the east!

On the 18th a huge gilt ball was screwed on the top by Smeaton's own
hand, and thus the building of the Eddystone lighthouse was finished.

There still remained, however, a good deal of copper and wood-work to be
done in the interior, but there was now no doubt in Smeaton's mind that
the light would be exhibited that season. He therefore removed his bed
and stores from the _Buss_ to the lighthouse, and remained there, the
better to superintend the completion of the work.

One evening he looked into the upper storeroom, where some bars were
being heated over a charcoal fire. He became giddy with the fumes,
staggered, and fell down insensible. Assuredly poor Smeaton's labours
would have terminated then and there if it had not been that one of the
men had providentially followed him. A startled cry was heard--one of
those cries full of meaning which cause men to leap half involuntarily
to the rescue.

"Och! somebody's kilt," cried Maroon, flinging away his pipe and
springing up the staircase, followed by others, "wather! wather! look
alive there!"

Some bore Smeaton to the room below, and others ran down for sea-water,
which they dashed over their master unmercifully. Whether or not it was
the best treatment we cannot say, but it sufficed, for Smeaton soon
recovered consciousness and found himself lying like a half drowned rat
on the stone floor.

At last, on the 1st of October, the lantern was lighted for trial during
the day, with 24 candles. They burned well though a gale was blowing.
On the 4th an express was sent to the Corporation of the Trinity House
to say that all was ready. A short delay was made to allow of the
lighting-up being advertised, and finally, on the 16th of October 1759,
the new Eddystone lighthouse cast its first benignant rays over the
troubled sea.

It chanced on that day that an appropriate storm raged, as if to
inaugurate the great event. Owing to this, Smeaton could not get off to
be at t